Gruesome deaths of cats at Malaysian campus spark outrage from animal lovers

Malaysian animal lovers are questioning a police claim that wild dogs were responsible for the gruesome deaths of six cats on the campus of Universiti Malaya (UM) in Kuala Lumpur, with a scramble over the weekend to rescue other strays from further attacks.

Public outrage erupted last week after social media users shared disturbing images of the dead cats, some severely mutilated and missing limbs.

Animal rights activists and members of the public have descended upon the campus over the weekend and rescued 22 other cats out of fear they could be targeted next.

Responding to several complaints about the incident, the Royal Malaysian Police said the matter had been referred to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), which indicated it was the work of wild dogs.

“Based on security footage in the area where the incident took place, it was shown there were a pack of wild dogs who attacked the cats,” police said on Sunday.

However, many questioned this explanation, arguing the injuries appeared too precise to be caused by dogs.